(BL)Alpha Made
Chapter 216: Brothers from another mother

Chapter 216: Brothers from another mother

Andrew was ridiculously nervous.

Having been away from work for so long, it felt strange going back after being away from work for a week. He was worried about how the others were going to take it.

He’d basically up and left, and apparently left the whole company in disarray. Richard had been telling him about what had happened while he was gone, and it had been a disaster.

Maxwell hadn’t been himself, and everyone knew it. Richard had warned Andrew that people had connected the dots to Andrew not being around the company anymore, and things might be...a little intense for him.

For that reason alone, Richard was coming to pick him up in the morning to take him to work. The other reason was to make sure he didn’t run away. Richard didn’t know that everything had gone over well the previous day, even if he did know that he was meeting up with Maxwell. He probably wanted to question him about it.

Thankfully, while Andrew had been out shopping with the Moms the previous day, he had made sure to pick up an outfit appropriate for work. He really had very few things to wear since everything was back at Maxwell’s, and when Luis had wanted to go on a spree, he told her that her husband had already done so, and Maxwell would be pissed.

That had put a damper on her spree tendencies, but it was clear that she wasn’t happy about that. So, he’d settled for two more outfits, one of which that he would need to wear to work. That outfit was a thick, cable knit sweater similar to something that Micheal liked to wear, but in a burnt orange, more mellow shade. It was an expensive piece, since the wool was from a particular farm, and it was handmade. The pants were also made from an expensive fabric, and although they looked black, they weren’t actually, and were covered in small shapes. In the right light they were brightly coloured.

Luis had practically forced him to wear them, and was insistent that he get it, so here he was. Wearing one of the outfits that Maxwell’s mother had bought him as a gift. Andrew flushed, adjusting the glasses that Kim had got him, and the shoes that May had bought him.

He felt...he felt cared for. It was a nice feeling.

Richard slammed into the house, May sighing as Andrew was in the middle of cleaning up the dishes from breakfast.

"Could you be more quiet? Your Father is still asleep." May told her son, annoyed. She was sitting at the small two seater table that she had set earlier with the breakfast that Andrew was now cleaning up from. A plate of food was sitting on the counter cooling for the still sleeping Ford.

Richard pushed his hair out of his face, sighing. He didn’t take his shoes off, instead remaining in the front room waiting impatiently for Andrew.

"It’s early enough that he should be awake. Come on Andy. We gotta go." Andrew chuckled, shaking his head at his impatience.

"No one else goes into the office this early, Richard, except other members of the research team, and you guys are the anomalies." Andrew told him. Richard frowned, crossing his arms as he stared at Andrew’s back as he cleaned up. Andrew was almost done, having already washed all of the pots and pans used, the dish washer getting all other things.

May sighed, taking a sip of her coffee.

"You should take a page out of Andrew’s book. He cleans up after every meal." Richard snorted.

"Andrew wants to curry good favour with you, and I’m not the one who ended back at my parents house after a bender and a fight with my partner." Andrew’s hands paused, May cursed under her breath, and all you could hear was the sound of the running water in the sink.

Andrew’s shoulders started shaking, before he really started laughing. He finished up the pot he was working on before he glanced over at the now pale Richard.

"I shouldn’t have said that. I-I-" Andrew waved a hand dismissively, bubbles and water splashing onto the counter beside him.

"It’s fine, Richard. I’m not upset. I just...I guess that is what I did." He laughed, smiling to himself as he drained the sink and wiped up his mess. "Dishes are done. Let me go grab my stuff from downstairs. I’ll be right back." Andrew told them, knowing that May was going to discipline him as soon as Andrew was out of sight.

The ’ow!’ that followed after him told him all he needed to know.

~

Richard parked the car in the underground parking lot below the company building. Andrew had no idea it even existed before this moment, since Maxwell had never parked anywhere but out front. It made sense, since where else would all of the people who worked here park their cars?

Richard and Andrew climbed out of the car, Richard sniffing at the cold before he unlocked the trunk and Andrew grabbed his stuff from the back of the car. Richard had tossed his bag back there, but Andrew was sure it was more in solidarity than anything else.

Richard was still a little upset that he’d spoken to Andrew the way he had, even after Andrew had attempted to soothe him. Andrew was fine, he hadn’t found it insulting, especially knowing that it was Richard and Rose who came and got him. They had seen how bad it was, and had taken him to where they thought was best.

Was it also a form of punishment? Andrew would absolutely not put it past the siblings. They had assumed that May would tear into him for his reactions, and Andrew had thought the same. That May had treated him well, and hadn’t yelled and instead listened was something none of them had anticipated. Did Andrew think May had yelled at Ford when she was dealing with all of the feelings she had over the situation? Absolutely.

Well, not at him, since they were too lovey dovey for that, but...he meant more in a ranting kind of way.

"Look, I don’t want things to be awkward when we get up to the office." Richard started, and Andrew wanted to laugh, but didn’t. He was taking this far too seriously, as was Richard’s way, but it was endearing. He thought it was cute of him.

"They won’t be." Andrew told him and Richard sighed.

"You didn’t even know what I was going to say." He protested, and Andrew rustled his bags in his hands. He had the to-go bag that he’d had packed up yesterday, as well as a cloth bag that carried his clothes. His phone was in his pocket, and thankfully he still had a fully functioning winter coat. It had just needed a wash, and since he’d worn a suit yesterday he hadn’t worn it.

Today, Richard nearly growled at him as he had attempted to leave without wearing it. Again, endearing. He was really nervous, thus reacting like a mother hen. It was something Andrew had missed when he’d been away from them.

"I might not know what you’re going to say but I am allowed to guess. I don’t care about what you said earlier, Richard. Really." Andrew threw him a grin as they stopped in front of the double set of elevators. Andrew had a feeling that these were the main ones that went up to the lobby. Now it made sense why they really had two different sets of elevators.

Richard groaned, rubbing his face.

"Okay. I get that. I wasn’t really speaking about that, but yeah. I shouldn’t have said that Andrew. You’re just trying...to deal with things in your own way. I don’t agree with how you went about it, but at least this time you didn’t run away to another country." Andrew was surprised that he brought that up. He turned to look at Richard.

"Was that a concern you had?" Andrew asked and Richard’s mouth was in a firm line. He wasn’t smiling, nor was he joking.

"Yeah, it was. If you got upset enough, I was really worried that you were just going to up and leave again. It wouldn’t be surprising. You’ve done it once before, what was stopping you from doing it again?" Wow, hearing it from Richard’s mouth really shook him. Andrew hadn’t even considered ’running away’ like he’d said.

He admitted to himself that that was what he had done when his Mom had passed, but-

Andrew cut off his self defense, even to himself. There was...there was a small chance that he could have done that again. He had enough money now that he could...do anything that he wanted. He also had things tying him down here, but that hadn’t stopped him from leaving last time, had it?

Richard had every right to be afraid. Andrew frowned. Did that mean Maxwell also had that kind of fear? He might not have been around when he’d last left, but he had probably spoken to Richard about it. Hopefully. Maybe.

The elevator doors opened and Andrew let out a sigh.

"It wasn’t really considered, Richard." Andrew told him and Richard shot him a knowing look.

"But you admit, you did consider it." He shot back. Andrew sighed.

"Briefly, maybe. I’m not sure." Andrew said and Richard grumbled under his breath, the two of them stepping inside and Richard used his id to get them inside. Andrew would need some new ones issued since...he’d destroyed his other ones.

Maxwell already knew about this apparently, and the front desk would have his new set ready for him. Richard grumbled again.

"I didn’t want to speak about this. I wanted to warn you about how the others are going to treat you." Richard was clearly upset, and Andrew had a feeling it had to do with his admittance that he would have left, maybe.

"Okay. What did you want to warn me about?" Andrew asked, moving forward, hoping that Richard’s mood would brighten if he did. Richard glanced at him, telling him without words that it wasn’t over, but he dropped the topic. Andrew gave a sigh of relief.

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